This is view around Chicamocha National Park(look it up). The road through the Magdalena is treacherous and hot, people passing each other like crazy on a winding 2 lane highway and a sheer 600 or 700 foot cliff straight down to the valley floor. That would definately leave a mark. Previously in the last decade this area was controlled by the paramilitary/cocaine smugglers/mercenarios we all know of to some degree
I have no idea whats going on right now...
These are the asses of the queens of the giant leaf cutter ants. There are 41 species of leave foraging ants in Colombia, that's alotta culona. They are called hormigas culonas, which literally means big ass ants. They were an agricultural pest until some genius decided to gather up the Flying queens and munch on their bums. There is a some dubious rumor that they taste bad, but in fact quite a delicacy and I enjoyed them quite alot, they taste like perfumed unpopped popcorn. They have a floral flavor sort of...You only eat the butt not the whole ant...
They are pretty big and uniquely Santanderean. The look like some nasty roach pupae though. I will definately eat these nasty bleepers again...
Ok the comida tipica de Santander. Ok we have cassava frita (the white sticks), fried green plaintain(ick) it's like a sweet greasy tadpole in your mouth, the white stuff is nice salty rice, stewed peas on left, a beet salad called ensalada roja, at the meat is a smoke dired steak like stuff that has an amazing flavor but the texture of new tire...
The giant ant in the backround in a monument to the culona in San Gil. San Gil is the adventure capitol of Colombia nd here you can paraglide,whitewater raft, ride atvs...etc. The remnants of the tropical dry forest, or Magdalena Dry Forest to be exact are incrediible full of Ceibas and Mimosas. This road leads to the Parque Gallineral, and amazing forest park with a giant spring fed swimming pool...simply amazing!
This is the Pozo Azul a spring different pool, natural, there are fossils all over the rocks here and people like this place becuase it is cool and free, though the beer at the bar is over priced a bit... would paI mean who in their right mind would pay a dollar for a beer?!
These are the silly/gay ducks looking for food in the algae lining the chute that leads the pool. They were nice with that brown gravy...
Another view of said chute
This is the flower of a tree in the Mimosa subfamily of Fabaceae. It's silky like Archbishop Don Magic Juan...the green in for the money, the gold is for the hunnies...This is the genus Albizia I do believe
Another view of the upper falls...this place was crawling with nasty biting flies tiny nasty flies! and countless ants of numerous species...
Another view of the giant fiberglass ant...what a morsel
Julie and I before drinking a 50,000 bottle of whiskey...it was good but damn that's spendy...It should be noted that Julie is made of crab bits glued together.
The old drunk guys behind us couldn't remember their own name most of the time. The fish painting was rad. I wanted to buy it but Julie wouldn´t let me. :I
This was the central square in San Gil, just abunch on youngins tossin down the hooch.
A little spingfed steam that is clear and beautiful and surrounded by tiny biting flies that really suck alot
The entrance to Parque El Gallineral, a nature park thatis beautiful and full of amazing tree of flower species. There are also lotsa of brids flitting about....
Two squirells in el parque. they were very red and one had giant huevos.
This me most probably icthing fly bites...they itch forlike 5 days.
The treesin park have giant Spanish Moss, which is actually a bromeliad, aerial roots hanging down from all of the trees.
This is a lovely ginger plant: Zingiber
The Ceiba trees produce a ton of inedible green fruit, it falls from the trees and pops you in the head.
The Emperors Staff is a flower in the ginger familiy I do believe. It was imported from africa many moons ago.
This is the very cold spring fed pool at El Gallineral. It is amazingly refreshing and the water just flows through like a river...It´s 10 feet deep at one end and 3 feet deep on the other.
In this region instead of seagulls you have American Black Vultures. They are ominous and fly and hover and roost all over. They like to fight over various pieces of rotten crap.
San gil has steep streets and is pretty tranquiloooooo. I liked it here but is very small and I could see getting bored here quickly, back to my new job atFondo Ganadero. I´m organzing a planbt diversity study of therforest reserves on the rangeland owned by the company....should be interesting.
1 comment:
sounds like someone is still itchy from his bites, as that seems to be the prevalent running commentary throughout this post.
in the 2nd photo we are horribly carsick from the nightmarishly curvy roads.
and the comida tipica was good and you know it! :D
also, if i'm made of crab bits what are you made of?
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